Book Review: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

 

Goodreads Synopis: What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?

Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.

“I knew how to die. It was the living that scared me.” - Alice

Side Effects May Vary is told in two different points of view and also in two scenarios (then and now). I found this a bit confusing but I managed.

At first I hesitated to read this book because I'm kind of tired of books with characters doing the bucket list thing but I decided to give it a try. I read it as an ebook. I ended up loving it. I fell in love with the way it was written. It was simple. Simple but beautiful.

I know some readers think that Alice's character is hard to like. She's stubborn and some would say "bitchy." I will leave it to you to find out why is that (if you decide to read it) It was interesting to read about a stubborn lead character because most of the books I've read deals with not so bitchy girls haha (if you know what I mean) Alice may be emotionally wrecked but she was still able to gather the strength to overcome the challenges in her life. I mean, she is informed that she has leukemia then she does the things she wants to do before she dies (written in "the list") then after all that she goes into remission...AHHH

Okay now, Harvey. I instantly loved him! He's the kind of guy who would do anything for the girl he loves. I kind of pity Harvey because he goes through a lot of effort to show Alice that he loves her but Alice is afraid to admit her feelings for him.


This is a book full of emotion and sass *cough* Alice *cough* Definitely worth the read!

- Alex

Cover Reveal: Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

Synopsis:  

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive. 

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.  

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together? 

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 About the author: 

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.  

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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The cover of Origin (the fourth book in the LUX series) is finally here! It's gorgeous!  I'm so excited for the release on the 27th of August under Entangled Teen! What do you think of the cover? 

- Alex

Book Review: This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

 

Goodreads Synopsis: If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

'There are different kinds of happy,' she said. 'Some kinds don't need any proof.' 

This Is What Happy Looks Like is the second book I've read written by Jennifer E. Smith. The first one was The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight. Jennifer writes really good stories about fate and destiny. The first thing that had drawn me to read this book was the cover because it's gorgeous. The first thing I thought about when I read the synopsis was Starstruck (the Disney movie starring Sterling Knight where he plays a famous pop star and falls in love with an ordinary girl who is not an obsessive fan of him)

This book made me want to visit Maine. (I first read about Maine in The Probability of Miracle by Wendy Wunder) I can see Ellie's house in my head and it's like the perfect summer house. I liked the fact that she works at an ice cream shop and that her mother runs a souvenir shop. I was picturing the souvenir shops at Seal Beach in California. Oh and I love the name Ellie!! When I was in high school I made a list of happy things so this book made me remember that. Here are some of the things I included in my list: Good music, A nice read, Balloons, The Beach and Thrift shopping.

I love reading stories like this. It's a really simple summer romance story that will leave a smile on your face. Definitely worth the read.


- Alex x

Book Review: Opal (Lux Series, #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

Goodreads Synopsis: No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

The Lux Series goes straight to my favorites. It has an amazing storyline. The well-developed characters makes it even more fun to read.

It was a bit hard for me to write this review because I really didn't know how to put my feelings for this book into words other than that it was AMAZING! Many have said that it has less action but it didn't ruin the book for me. Daemon and Katy took their relationship to the next level *wink wink* I'm happy to read more of Daemon's sweet side. There may be a lot of problems that is sometimes keeping them apart but when they're together it all fades away and it always seems that they're the only people in the world. Daemon is protective and sensitive more than ever. Dawson is back but he is not in the state that his siblings expected. Blake is also back and he has an offer that will put the Luxens and Katy at risk. Opal made me love Katy even more because she has shown her bravery and she has proven that she is not just a weak human that everybody needs to protect. I had a lot of fun reading Opal and I can't wait for Origin (Lux Series, #4)

And yup I also thought I was missing pages after that devastating cliffhanger. All I did was freak out. I couldn't stop from freaking out. It was so brilliant I can't even ahhhh!! The promise of a 4th book is the only thing keeping me alive right now.. Hahaha. Just kidding. No.. seriously. Thank you Jennifer for the Lux Series!!

- Alex